Pressure Mounts On Japan Over Plan To Dump Wastewater
Sumaira FH Published April 15, 2021 | 01:26 PM
Japan's decision to start releasing "treated" radioactive water from its Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea in two years has triggered calls for an international tribunal over the issue
ANKARA , (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Apr, 2021 ) Japan's decision to start releasing "treated" radioactive water from its Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea in two years has triggered calls for an international tribunal over the issue.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in told new Japanese ambassador Koichi Aiboshi in Seoul on Wednesday that there is great concern among South Koreans, as the two nations are geographically close to each other and share the sea, Yonhap news reported.
Japan said that it had decided to dispose of more than one million tons of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi plant, more than a decade after a major accident at the facility.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced his government's decision following a cabinet meeting and said that disposing of the treated water is an inevitable issue in the decommissioning of the plant.
The plan will be implemented by ensuring broad and firm steps to prevent damage, he stressed.
Moon has asked his officials to "proactively consider bringing the matter to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea," thus effectively seeking international mediation over the issue.
"It is absolutely abhorrent that people's rights are being put at risk this way. The human right to health, water, food and to life itself are all at stake by events such as this. This must not be allowed to go ahead. Thankfully, we do have some time to turn this around, and that gives me hope," said Lisa Woods, Campaign Director of Amnesty International in New Zealand.
Woods said the Pacific region "will be especially at risk." "This is going to risk the rights of many, including people in Japan and others in the Pacific. We do not know what ramifications might be in the future. This must not go ahead," she added, asking the government of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to oppose the move.
Taiwan also expressed its opposition to Japan's "unilateral decision to release tons of treated radioactive water" into the sea.
Japan should not "insist on going it alone" before having a clear idea of the implications of such an action, said Taiwanese government spokesman Lo Ping-cheng.
?- IAEA to work with Japan The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement that it will "work closely" with Japan, which is preparing to release a million tons of contaminated seawater used to cool the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said "Japan's solution was both technically feasible and in line with international practice." He said the agency is also ready "to provide technical support in monitoring and reviewing the plan's safe and transparent implementation." "Controlled water discharges into the sea are routine practice for operating nuclear power plants in the world after safety and environmental impact assessments," the IAEA chief noted.
"Today's decision by the government of Japan is a milestone that will help pave the way for continued progress in the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant," said Grossi, while also underlining that "the large amount of water" at Fukushima made this a "unique and complex case." "Tanks with the water occupy large areas of the site, and water management, including the disposal of the treated water in a safe and transparent manner involving all stakeholders, is of key importance for the sustainability of these decommissioning activities," he added.
The Japanese premier had said that the IAEA and other third-party organizations will be involved in the process to observe that the plan of releasing the treated water into the sea "is carried out with transparency." Suga said on Tuesday that the release plan is also based on the IAEA's scientific principles.
- Water containing tritium to be diluted The radioactive materials formed in pure water, which functions as a coolant of the reactors, are decomposed except for the tritium material thanks to the Advanced Liquid Processing System.
According to the plan, the water containing the element tritium will be diluted at the level of 1,500 becquerels per liter. Thus, the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), will be able to discharge the water, which is increasing day by day, into the sea periodically.
TEPCO estimates that if the water stored in the plant is not released, the facility will fill its storage tank capacity by autumn 2022 at the latest.
The process of discharging the water into the sea is expected to take at least two years.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Bismah Maroof announces immediate retirement from international cricket
Malala expresses unwavering support for Gaza people
Selection committee dissolved over Pakistan women cricket team's poor performanc ..
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz in police uniform at Chung police center
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 25 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 25 April 2024
Mired in crisis, Boeing reports another loss
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
Pakistan, Japan agrees to convene 'Economic Policy Dialogue'
FM Dar conveys deepest sympathy on torrential rains devastation in UAE
Spain PM Sanchez says weighing resignation after wife's graft probe
More Stories From World
-
Sugar futures close lower
10 minutes ago -
China-donated relief supplies arrive in Papua New Guinea
10 minutes ago -
ChiNext Index closes lower Thursday
10 minutes ago -
BHP launches $38.8 billion takeover bid for rival Anglo American
19 minutes ago -
AstraZeneca profit up on strong sales of cancer drugs
19 minutes ago -
93 arrested at LA university pro-Palestinian protest for trespassing
20 minutes ago
-
Blades of Paris landmark Moulin Rouge windmill collapse
29 minutes ago -
As 'news deserts' spread, US journalism fights on
30 minutes ago -
Blades of Paris landmark Moulin Rouge windmill collapse
49 minutes ago -
Car giants vie for EV crown at Beijing's Auto China show
60 minutes ago -
Blades of Paris landmark Moulin Rouge windmill collapse
1 hour ago -
Advanced 5G base station launched in Mt. Qomolangma
1 hour ago